


Stumble

by Kaito_Dragneel



Series: Soft Wars Fanfiction [8]
Category: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Colt has dad energy, Colt has him though, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Gen, Ink is struggling, Language Barrier, Learning a New Language, Shaak is a good wife
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-17 09:15:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29469324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kaito_Dragneel/pseuds/Kaito_Dragneel
Summary: Ink’s struggling with learning Mando’a
Relationships: Colt/Shaak Ti
Series: Soft Wars Fanfiction [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1725040
Comments: 5
Kudos: 65





	Stumble

Colt had been watching the CT Captain as he stared at the worksheet he had been given. When he had started teaching Ink Mando’a, he had expected some kind of resistance. He hadn’t expected to just be  _ accepted  _ as a teacher right away. He’d expected Ink to slam the door in his face in offense, but he had just looked…  _ confused _ . 

Ink was… well he was hard to get along with. 

He wasn’t like Neyo or Faie, he wasn’t mean intentionally or cruel without care. He didn’t make jabs at people just out of defense. Ink was pure bright anger and insecurities a click wide. He was untamed rage and fear that had been cultivated into strategy and fierce protectiveness.

Ink wasn’t like Rex either though. He wasn’t hiding his crazy and rage beneath a “normal” mask. That was a part of the reason they didn’t get along. Rex was  _ too normal _ for Ink and Ink was  _ too unpredictable  _ for Rex. They didn’t dislike each other, they were just… awkward around each other. It was almost adorable. Not like he’d ever say that out loud though. He knew where the line was and where to not cross it.

There was a hitch in breathing and Colt winced, turning his head away to give Ink some form of privacy for a moment. He looked back over at his vod’ika when he heard the pencil drop to the table.  _ He’s crying _ .

Colt resisted the urge to reach out and clear those tears, respecting Ink’s boundaries.

_ Pip pap _ .

Colt sighed softly, waiting patiently, his heart aching as he watched the tears fall down Ink’s face. Frustration and anger being their cause. He had to wait for Ink to ask for help. Wisp’s Captain had  _ pride  _ and would  _ hate it  _ if he just swooped in to help without Ink asking first.

_ Pip pap pap. _

“I can’t do it,” Ink whispered softly, staring at the page, shoulders tensing as if afraid.

Colt wanted to rip Fett apart limb for limb, for taking one of their vod’ika from them and isolating them to this extent. No language, no culture. This was not what should have happened. Ink was supposed to be a sniper, supposed to be a trooper in one of the other battalions, not a Captain who just got thrown on to the Command Track because he had  _ potential.  _ But, that’s exactly what happened. Unfortunately, Cody had first dibs, so he’d wait.

“You can,” Colt said softly, scooting his chair closer so he could press his shoulder along Ink’s.

“It doesn’t make any  _ sense _ . I can’t  _ read it _ ,” Ink whispered again, that fierce rage behind the pain in his tone.

“Let me help you make sense of it then.”

Ink turned his head away from the page, tucking it into Colt’s shoulder. The older man wrapped an arm around Ink, picking up a Ink’s pencil.

“C’mon, vod’ika. We’ll work through this page together, then we can stop for today. You did good! We got through most of the basics,” Colt encouraged softly, glancing up when he heard soft footsteps in the doorway of the dining room.

Shaak had paused by the door, smiling softly at the scene. Colt smiled back. She had been the one to suggest it to him for him to be the one to teach Ink their language. He’s have to thank her later. Shaak passed on by as Colt glanced at Ink once more.

The smaller vode nodded stiffly, not believing the praise he had been given fully, but still enjoying said praise. They’d work on it.

“Alright then, let’s translate this one together and then we’ll slowly move down the page.”

“Okay,” Ink nodded softly, clearing his eyes of the tears with a swipe of his arm.

“Maybe the reason you can’t read is because you’re reading it left to right, try reading top to bottom. Remember, Mando’a is written vertically, not horizontally,” Colt suggested softly, using the pencil to try and show Ink.

Ink was silent for a moment before taking the pencil out of Colt’s hand and getting to work easily. Cold smiled softly, staying close as he watched Ink work. They were getting there, slowly but surely.


End file.
